


Failure of Self Perception

by texanfan



Category: Stargate: Atlantis
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-17
Updated: 2011-03-17
Packaged: 2017-10-17 01:21:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/171443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/texanfan/pseuds/texanfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rodney deals with the after effects of his vision. Spoilers for Progeny.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Failure of Self Perception

**Author's Note:**

> There is a brief mention of rape in this story. It's one sentence but its triggered one person I know of.

There were times that Teyla felt like an older sibling left to look after three younger brothers with a penchant for trouble. This was one of those times. John was gesturing with his fork which did nothing to lend credibility to his cause.

John had tried, unsuccessfully, to enlist her aid, but she was resolved to watch this altercation from a safe distance. Giving her meal all her concentration seemed greatly preferable to becoming involved.

“C’mon Ronon,” John pleaded. “They’ll be very careful.”

Teyla hid her smile at Ronon’s dubious expression, then she noticed John had spotted another potential ally making his way through the food line.

“Rodney!” He motioned the man over to their table.

Instead of sliding into a spot at the table left conspicuously open for him, Rodney stood clutching his tray. “Can I help you, Colonel?”

“Explain to Ronon here how careful you’d be while you reverse engineer his gun,” John said with the self satisfied assurance of someone who knew he was going to get what he wanted.

Rodney gave John a condescending glare. “And in the rest of my copious free time I suppose you’d like me to build you a lightsaber.”

“Can you do that?” A little boy grin took over John’s face. Teyla found herself grateful for team movie night or she might understand even less of John and Rodney’s conversation than she currently did.

Rodney’s glare didn’t flicker, which was typical, what Teyla found worrisome was that it was directed at John’s shoulder rather than his face.

“Fine, forget the lightsaber,” John relented, “but I know you can figure out the gun. Come on, McKay, how long would it take you? Half an hour?”

“I have no idea,” Rodney responded impatiently. “It’s totally unknown technology, it could take days. We have guns, we have stunners, I’m not going to waste valuable resources because you want a new toy.”

Ronon smirked triumphantly while John pouted. Neither seemed to notice that Rodney was moving away.

“Rodney,” Teyla stopped him. “Will you not join us?”

A look of intense discomfort crossed his face. “Um, no, I just came to grab something to take back to the lab. I’ve got several simulations running. I’m very busy, despite what some people might think.” The last line was said with a parting glare at John. Never once had he looked one of them in the eyes.

Teyla surveyed her companions but they seemed to be reduced to John staring enviously at Ronon’s gun and Ronon looking smugly superior. “Rodney has been behaving strangely.”

John snapped out of his sulk to ask, “He has?”

“When was the last time he looked you in the eyes?”

“Asura,” Ronon answered easily. The man was more perceptive than he often appeared.

“I believe you are correct,” Teyla agreed.

“Huh. Any idea why?” John asked.

“No, but something is deeply troubling him. Someone should speak to him.”

John looked sunk in thought for a moment, possibly reviewing his own encounters with Rodney in the last two weeks. Then, with a sharp, decisive nod he declared, “You’re right.” He rose from the table wearing an infuriating smirk as he said, “Let me know how that goes.”

Teyla slowly closed her mouth as John escaped out the mess hall door. She turned her attention to Ronon. He merely looked confused. Neither man discussed emotions if they could help it. Apparently, this task fell to her if it was to be done at all.

“I will see if I can get him to talk,” she said while getting up.

“If he wanted to talk, he would,” Ronon said. “It’s McKay.”

It was irrefutable logic but Teyla couldn’t leave it at that. “I must try,” she said, and headed for the labs.

_________________________________

Rodney stared at his screen trying to pull his concentration back onto the equations before him. It wasn’t working. He bit into his sandwich disconsolately and considered switching to minesweeper for awhile, just to clear his head.

“Rodney?” Teyla’s voice startled him and he whipped around to face her.

“Yes, Teyla, did you need something?” He was very glad his work was still on the screen.

“I wondered if I might speak to you for a moment.” She moved a little further into the lab, but didn’t crowd him or sit.

“Yes, yes, of course,” Rodney stammered, indicating a nearby stool for her to sit down.

She gingerly perched on the stool. “Is there anything you would like to talk about?”

Rodney stared at her in confusion. “No. Why?”

“You have seemed … unhappy lately. You have not eaten with us in some time. I was concerned that something troubled you.”

It was times like this Rodney really wished he could duplicate Sheppard’s blank mask. “Thank you, but I’ve just been busy. The Replicators could launch another attack anytime and we don’t know nearly enough about them.”

He risked a look at her eyes to see if she was buying it. He saw the serene compassion he’d known would be there. She wasn’t buying it. “So, thank you for your concern, but everything is just fine. If there isn’t anything else?” Rodney cut off his own babbling with an effort.

She rose gracefully. “If you would like to speak of anything, know that you can come to me.”

She had reached the door before he got up the courage to call out to her. “Teyla!”

She turned and regarded him expectantly.

“Thank you. I really do appreciate it.”

She inclined her head to him slightly in acknowledgement and exited. Rodney buried his head in his hands. The image of the powerful, graceful woman who had just left overlaid with the nightmare image in his head, the smell of blood, the sound of weeping. Meeting her eyes had been a mistake. He really hoped his appointment with Heightmeyer tomorrow would help.

Unfortunately, reality conflicted sharply with his hopes.

“You understand what you experienced was an induced hallucination, don’t you?”

“No, I’m a drooling idiot who can’t understand these things. Yes, of course I know it was an induced hallucination. The Replicators set up a scenario in our brains to gauge our reactions and gain information.” What he didn’t know at the moment was why he thought talking to Heightmeyer would help. He never could get comfortable in her overstuffed chair and the light slanting in from the windows made him squint.

“And yet you feel guilt for something you are aware you didn’t do.” She was using the damn reasonable voice that he hated with a passion. Somehow she looked more condescending as a redhead than she had as a blonde.

He leaned forward, gesturing to keep from strangling her for her lack of understanding. “The scenario was created, the reactions to it were mine. That’s the point.”

“So you believe you reacted in the hallucination as you would in reality?”

“Hello, it was me reacting!” At least he could get something from her to help him sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he saw their eyes staring at him. Teyla and Elizabeth’s dark with despair and betrayal. Ronon’s promising bloody retribution if he ever got free. Sheppard’s eyes were the worst, looking through him with a resignation that declared loudly he’d expected no better.

“--their reactions as well.”

Rodney shook his head, attempting to refocus. He really needed those sleeping pills. “What?”

She leaned forward, tapping her pencil against her notepad. “You filled in their responses as well. Maybe they wouldn’t react the way you think they would. Have you spoken to them about your vision?”

“Oh God, no!” Honestly, did the woman get her degree out of a Cracker Jack box? “You do remember these sessions are confidential, don’t you?”

“I’m not going to tell them anything, Rodney.” She sounded exasperated. “I’m merely suggesting that it might help you if you did.”

“You don’t understand how an offworld team works. We depend on each other for our lives. You have to know that you can trust your teammates to guard your back, to put your life before their own.” Briefly he wondered when he started sounding like Sheppard. Even worse, he’d started thinking like him.

“If they knew about this they wouldn’t trust me anymore, I’d be off the team.” It was unsettling how much the admission hurt.

“These should help you sleep,” Heightmeyer said, placing a bottle of pills in Rodney’s eager hands. “I’m giving them to you because I think the lack of sleep is exacerbating your anxiety levels. But that’s treating the symptom, not a permanent solution. I want you to give serious consideration to talking to your teammates.”

Rodney made a derogatory noise, eager to end the session now he had what he came for.

“Think about it this way, Rodney,” she continued, implacable. “Don’t they have a right to know?”

 

Ronon was bored sitting behind Teyla in the jumper and this mission didn’t promise him much in the way of entertainment.

“I’m not getting any energy readings, but the Ancient database said they abandoned the outpost so that means they had time to shut it down properly,” McKay rambled as he stared at his screen on the back wall of the jumper. Ronon kept half an ear on the explanation in case good teasing material popped up. “Which would be good, because that would mean that its power source won’t be depleted, if they left one here. Another ZedPM would be great—“

“Rodney,” Sheppard interrupted.

Ronon had to lean over Teyla’s shoulder to see what Sheppard had spotted. The blasted shell of an installation was visible on the plain ahead.

“What?” McKay asked, obviously irritated at being cut off midstream. He swung forward and caught sight of the damage a moment after everyone else. “Well, crap.”

They flew over the site and Ronon recognized the work of Wraith weapons fire. The attack had happened decades ago judging from the look of the place.

“Anyone live here?” Sheppard asked.

“I have never had contact with anyone from this planet, but that does not mean there is no one here,” Teyla told him.

Ronon shrugged. He hadn’t recognized the address when they dialed in.

“Might not be a total loss then,” McKay piped up, his disappointment over the destroyed outpost overshadowed by new excitement. “We might be able to harvest the gate.”

Sheppard nodded. “Let’s see if anyone’s home. Teyla, dial the gate.”

The gate was out of sight but Ronon could hear the connection being made with Atlantis through his headset. He knew Weir would okay them staying and looking around, but he wished there would be something to call them home instead. This world had a deserted feel to it and he didn’t enjoy poking through graveyards.

“Atlantis, this is Sheppard. The outpost is a loss. We’re trying to determine if we’ve got an unused gate on our hands.”

“Trying to fill Rodney’s quota, John?” Weir had the amused tone to her voice she often had when referring to McKay, if she didn’t sound like she wanted to kill him.

“Yeah, well, if we can finally get this gate bridge finished maybe he’ll stop bitching about it.” McKay baiting, always a favorite pastime.

“Oh thank you very much,” McKay went off right on cue. Ordinarily, an opening like that would be good for a five minute rant before he realized he was being teased. Ronon could see Teyla’s shoulders tense as she braced for it. She didn’t find annoying McKay as entertaining as he and Sheppard did. This time McKay went on after only that token protest. “We’ll need to check out the outpost thoroughly before we harvest the gate. There might be something salvageable.”

McKay’s eyes darted between them as they all turned to stare at him. Seemed McKay wasn’t playing the usual game. He also completely missed the reason for the stares. “It’s not like I can hop down to Radio Shack for replacement parts now is it?”

“You’re acting weird, McKay,” Ronon observed.

McKay flinched. “I don’t see how,” he said, obviously lying and not meeting anyone’s eyes.

Ronon shrugged. McKay would talk when he was ready. “Just saying.”

Weir brought them back to business. “How long do you need to search the outpost?”

“I don’t know,” McKay answered her with more of his usual ire. “Depends on how badly it’s damaged. At least five or six hours.”

“Either way I think we’re looking at an overnighter.” Sheppard was far too cheerful not to be up to something.

“Hey, no, we can just come back tomorrow, can’t we?” McKay sounded slightly panicked at the prospect of staying out. It was eerie. He wasn’t complaining about what sleeping in the jumper would do to his back. Ronon didn’t trust the change.

Sheppard kept pushing for a reaction. “It’s inefficient, Rodney. We’ll just check out the planet, check out the outpost and be home in time for dinner tomorrow.”

“And Major Lorne will have done more of your administrative duties?” Teyla suggested. Sheppard baiting was her preferred pastime.

“I didn’t say that,” Sheppard deflected. “Although, it would be a side benefit.”

“I’ll expect a report in a few hours. Weir out.” It sounded like she signed off before she could laugh.

“Keep scanning for energy readings, McKay,” Sheppard suggested. “If we find people we still might get back tonight.”

McKay grumbled as he turned back to his panel. Ronon hoped they found someone. It sounded like Sheppard was willing to skip the usual long, dull trade exchange if they did, even better it would prove him wrong.

Fifteen minutes into the search they found a village not too far from the gate and Ronon knew he was right. There was a stillness to the place that was achingly familiar but they set down to check it out anyway.

There were no bodies. There must be predators on the planet that dragged them off. The small gardens had become choked with weeds, the paths overgrown. Ronon’s fingers itched to finger his gun, to turn and find a Wraith he could pour out some of his anger and frustration on.

“This happened years ago,” Teyla said what Ronon had been thinking. He would get no revenge today.

Ronon stuck his head in a few houses. The contents were disturbed, as if animals had been rooting around searching for anything edible. Too much of value was left behind. No one had returned here after the culling.

Sheppard ordered them back to the jumper to continue the search of the planet. Ronon could have told him there was no point, all they would find were other villages just like this one, but he appreciated the thoroughness. If they took the gate, anyone left here would be trapped, cut off from trade or help from other worlds.

While Sheppard and McKay searched the planet for signs of life, Ronon wondered if there were survivors of this world. He didn’t know what it was called, and would never know now. Would they ever try to dial back to this graveyard of a world only to find it inaccessible? He doubted it. It was best to leave the past buried.

After the Wraith took him back to Sateda, Ronon suggested they use Sateda’s gate for McKay’s gate bridge. Sheppard and McKay were surprised. Teyla wasn’t. They had searched Sateda just as thoroughly as they were now searching this planet and found nothing but devastation. It was a sight Ronon never wanted to see again. It wasn’t like he needed confirmation that the place was full of ghosts.  
____________________________________________________

John wished he had something active to do rather than watch Rodney digging through the guts of a blasted console, cursing under his breath and discarding burnt out crystals, while Teyla held a light steady for him. John had put himself in charge of handing Rodney the tools he needed when he asked for them, which gave him way too much time to get creeped out by this dead world. But he’d given Ronon the task of patrolling the perimeter to keep him from going nuts from inactivity rather than reserving it for himself. Sometimes being in charged sucked. He didn’t expect attack from anyone, but it wouldn’t be the first time the Wraith popped up on one of these long-culled worlds searching for new inhabitants.

“This is a waste of time,” Rodney declared, sliding out from under the console. “There’s nothing salvageable on this level.”

The sky was perfectly visible through the destroyed roof and the sun was sinking pretty low in it. “We’re losing the light,” John said. “What say we pack it in and attack the rest of the complex in the morning?”

Rodney sounded resigned when he said, “Fine.”

Teyla switched off the light and Rodney packed up his more sensitive equipment without protest. It was downright disturbing.

John dusted himself off and wandered out to the jumper. He intercepted Ronon halfway. “We’re packing it in for the night, everything clear out here?”

“Nothing around for miles,” Ronon said with disgust. John suspected he would have welcomed a little Wraith action about now.

“In that case, I think we can do without keeping watch.”

Ronon stared at him as if he’d just suggested water ran uphill.

“Come on,” John wheedled. “We close up the jumper, engage the cloak and we can all get a full night’s sleep.”

“If you say so,” Ronon started putting together a fire without another word, disapproval radiating off him.

John winced a bit but didn’t back down. If he handled this right it would turn into more of a camping trip than a mission. A few s’mores around the fire, swapping stories and maybe they’d be able to pry out of McKay what was eating him.

He’d just gotten the food out when Teyla and Rodney come up hauling the last of the equipment. “I’ve got meatloaf, spaghetti, Salisbury steak and chicken cacciatore. Who wants what?”

“I’ll take the spaghetti,” Ronon stated. It wasn’t like anyone was going to argue with him. John fully expected Rodney to leap in with a selection but he just entered the jumper and started stowing his equipment. John saved him the meatloaf anyway.

They settled around the fire and John tried to break the ice by talking about his first camping trip back when he was a boy scout.

“Why doesn’t it surprise me you were a boy scout?” Rodney scoffed.

“Come on, Rodney, didn’t you ever go camping?” John was pretty sure the answer was no, but if he could get McKay ranting he could pull him into the conversation they needed to have.

“Strangely, I had better ways to spend my time than collecting merit badges for tying knots and contracting poison ivy,” Rodney insisted, intent on his MRE.

“What is camping?” Ronon asked. John had an uncomfortable flashback of where he first met Ronon. The man had been running from the Wraith for seven years, hiding out in a cave at the time. Not the making of happy campfire memories. John decided to pretend he hadn’t just wedged his foot in his mouth.

“Camping,” he drawled, playing for time. “Is like what we’re doing now. Sitting around a fire, somewhere safe, with friends. Sleeping under the stars.”

“I thought we planned to sleep in the jumper?” Teyla protested.

Rodney snickered.

“Figuratively speaking,” John amended, the depth of his mistake sinking in, as he remembered the large tents and temporary furnishings that Teyla called home. “Look, the important thing is, getting away from work and responsibility for a little while and just relaxing.”

“Aren’t we on a mission?” Ronon finished up his spaghetti and packed the wrapping away.

“Technically, yes,” John allowed. This was going downhill rapidly. “But I thought we could enjoy the peace and quiet for a change.”

“Until some previously unknown monster comes to eat our brains or something,” Rodney offered as he packed away the remains of his dinner. “I’m heading to bed. I want to get an early start in the morning.”

“Sounds good to me,” Ronon agreed as they both headed toward the jumper.

“Doesn’t anyone want s’mores?” John appealed to his teammates’ retreating backs.

Receiving no response he gave up and headed into the jumper to set up his sleeping bag.

There was no debate over the sleeping arrangements. It had long since been decided that giving McKay one of the padded benches beat listening to him complain about his bad back hands down. Besides, Ronon was too long to sleep on one of the benches comfortably and John actually preferred a sleeping bag on the floor of the jumper. Teyla took the other bench by default. Besides, it never hurt to defer to the lady who regularly handed him his ass in the gym.

John lay awake for awhile. Ronon snored like a chainsaw next to him and John suspected Ronon’d picked a position that would make him do just that to annoy him. Given a choice, John preferred to bunk with Rodney, he was quiet and his drooling wasn’t a problem unless they were forced into close proximity. Teyla was a cover hog.

As lousy as John was at talking about feelings, he was even worse at getting others to talk about theirs. Teyla told him she’d been unable to pry a word out of Rodney. Ordinarily, he’d let it lie, but this was starting to effect the group dynamic of his team. John was seriously beginning to consider getting him drunk to get some answers.

He was just contemplating where he could get sufficient alcohol for the job when he heard what he could only describe as whimpering above him. Rodney was shifting in his sleep. John struggled out of the sleeping bag to stand beside him, by which point Rodney was pressing himself against the wall of the jumper and pleading with someone. “No, please, don’t.”

John gripped his shoulder and shook him, “It’s a nightmare, Rodney. Wake up.”

Rodney flinched away and John shook him a little harder. “You’re safe, come on, wake up.”

Rodney’s eyes snapped open. He stared at John with despair. “I’m sorry.”

Rodney blinked himself fully awake and his eyes flicked over the interior of the puddle jumper with dawning horror. John looked around and saw both Teyla and Ronon were sitting up and eying Rodney.

“I’m sorry I woke everyone,” Rodney apologized, eyes trained on his sleeping bag. “Just a bad dream, go back to sleep.”

“Uh uh,” John corrected him. “You’re busted. You might as well tell us what’s eating you, because we’re not going to leave you alone until you do.”

“What is this, the Spanish Inquisition?” Rodney tried to throw him off with his usual abrasive manner.

“Look, it’s either us or Heightmeyer,” John offered. Someone had to straighten McKay out and John was perfectly willing to leave it to a professional.

Rodney gave him a sour look. “Do I look stupid? I’ve been to Heightmeyer.”

“What did she say, Rodney?” Teyla’s voice was too calm and serene for someone woken from sleep. Either it was automatic or she’d been lying awake too.

Rodney’s chin dropped to his chest in defeat. “That I should talk to you guys.”

__________________________________________

Escape was clearly impossible. With his sleeping pills sitting back in his room, he knew spending the night was going to be a disaster. Rodney found himself seated on an emergency blanket bracketed by Sheppard and Teyla. Ronon lay on the other side of the fire, poking it back to life.

“Come on, Rodney,” Sheppard wheedled. “Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad.”

“We all found the experiences the Asurans put us through unsettling,” Teyla prompted.

There was just enough combativeness left in Rodney to argue this point. “Sheppard escaped, no doubt in some heroic fashion, Ronon was fighting and I’ll just bet kicking ass, you, actually, you never told us what yours was.”

Teyla looked a little green at the memory. Rodney felt bad making her go through it again but maybe, if he could shift the focus to Teyla, he could get out of this awhile longer.

“Teyla, you don’t have to,” Sheppard assured her. The hypocrite, he hadn’t given Rodney an out.

“It is all right, John. It might help Rodney feel more comfortable sharing his burden.” Teyla gave him a pointed look. Rodney ducked his head in shame. There was nothing Teyla could say that would make him comfortable, but there was no getting out of this, he was about to lose everything.

“They discovered I possessed Wraith DNA and augmented its influence.” Teyla’s voice was barely audible.

“What?” Sheppard and Rodney said together. Ronon gave more attention to the fire, not looking at them.

“They turned you into a Wraith?” Rodney gasped.

“Essentially.”

“Worst fear,” Ronon commented from across the fire.

Sheppard was futzing with something involving foil and multiple packages over the fire. Rodney wished he had something to do with his own hands. He put an awkward arm around Teyla’s shoulders and squeezed.

“You’re not a monster.” He chided himself for stating the blatantly obvious. “You’re just Teyla, wonderful, completely human Teyla.”

She moved into the hug, burying her head against his shoulder. “I know, but it felt very real.”

Rodney held onto her a little tighter, feeling her breathing calm. After he finished telling them, he doubted she’d ever let him hug her again. When they broke apart, Sheppard handed them each a s’more.

“Comfort food,” he explained with an embarrassed smile.

Rodney shoved the whole sticky mess in his mouth. Sheppard resumed his spot next to Rodney, his own treat in hand. The three of them looked at him expectantly.

“You said there was torture,” Sheppard prompted.

Rodney swallowed. The sugar actually did make him feel a bit better. “There was, and then they brought each of you in.”

Rodney could clearly see Elizabeth being dragged in, her dignity stripped from her as they tore her clothes off.

“They made me watch while they did horrible things to each of you.”

Teyla tied face down to a table, fists clenching against the pain, while a burly Asuran pounded into her.

“They told me I could stop it.”

Ronon hanging from chains in the ceiling, refusing to make a sound, the skin of his back flayed off.

“If I would take your place.”

Sheppard with his limbs dangling uselessly after the damage done to his spine, desolation on his face with the certain knowledge that he would never fly again.

“I couldn’t do it.”

Much to his surprise, Teyla pressed herself against his left side and Sheppard bumped shoulders with him on his right.

“It is all right, Rodney,” Teyla assured him. “We do not expect such things of you.”

Rodney found himself affronted by such a declaration, however true it might be. “You should. Any of you would do it for me. I’m a member of this team, you shouldn’t expect any less from me.”

Ronon rested in a leonine sprawl on the other side of the camp fire, licking marshmallow off his fingers. “I wouldn’t. I’d focus on killing them and getting us out. You gave them what they wanted, McKay.”

Rodney barely registered the quelling look Sheppard sent at Ronon. Ronon’s words were bouncing around in his brain and making themselves at home, made him look at the problem from an angle he hadn’t previously considered.

“I think what Ronon meant to say,” Sheppard began.

“No, no,” Rodney interrupted him, mental connections expressing themselves in snapping fingers. “He’s exactly right. They played on our greatest fears, went for the biggest reactions to make us vulnerable.”

Ronon nodded, a small smile gracing his features. “They made you concentrate on us, when you should have been focused on how to escape. Get help.”

For the first time in a week Rodney looked Ronon directly in the eyes. Of all of them, Ronon was the one he most expected to hate him for his weakness.

Ronon met his stare calmly and openly. Ronon didn’t have any of the social niceties Rodney had come to distrust. He could trust Ronon to refrain from telling him pretty lies.

There was only amused exasperation in his eyes.

Rodney looked down, shaking his head. “It’s just, the way each of you looked at me, you hated me for being a coward.”

Teyla took his hand. “It was not real, Rodney. We would never look at you with hatred. Not for something beyond your control.”

“You’re pig-headed, arrogant and a royal pain in the ass but you aren’t a coward, McKay. I wouldn’t have a coward on my team.” Rodney locked eyes with Sheppard. He could tell Sheppard believed it. No doubts, he believed it. Rodney looked away before Sheppard could see what he believed.

“I might kick your ass for not getting on with the rescuing,” Sheppard allowed.

“Did I skip the part where I was tied up and tortured?” Rodney snapped. He glanced up to see Ronon and Sheppard grinning at him. They were teasing him. He’d just dropped his bombshell and they were teasing him. “What, this is funny now?”

“Nah, just you,” Ronon said.

“We’re just glad to have you sounding like yourself,” Sheppard clarified.

“Hmmpf,” Rodney responded, but his heart wasn’t in it. He dared to look each of them full in the face. He still had his team, his family, it hadn’t been ripped away. He had a stay of execution.

He wasn’t a soldier, he performed his heroics with technology. It was just possible that they would never find out just how wrong they were about him.

In the meantime, if they wanted him sounding like himself he could give them that. “Some of us have important work to do in the morning. I’m heading back to bed. Feel free to tell campfire stories without me.”

He lay back down in the jumper, contemplating how he could keep his vulnerabilities from hurting his team.

____________________________________

“We recovered a crate’s worth of control crystals, three of circuit connectors and two display screens,” Rodney reported happily.

Elizabeth was very glad to see a return of the enthusiasm she was used to from him. Apparently, all he’d needed was an ancient outpost to ransack.

“Then I’ll add this gate to the list for the Deadalus,” Elizabeth said. She looked over her notes for the next mission. “How do you feel about another Ancient outpost?”

Predictably, Ronon groaned and Rodney’s eyes sparkled. Teyla and John merely looked amused.

“Could I see the report?” Rodney asked. He might as well have said, “Gimmee!”

She handed over the information gleaned from the Ancient database. “We’re fairly sure this world is inhabited,” Elizabeth said for the benefit of the others. Rodney wouldn’t surface again until he finished reading. “Even if the outpost doesn’t pan out, it never hurts to make contact with another potential trading partner.”

“What does Atlantis have in trade goods at the moment?”

Elizabeth had anticipated Teyla’s question and handed her a list of the medicine and surplus food they could spare. “The list of things we need is listed in order of urgency,” she added. “It is, however, subject to change depending on these people’s level of technology. Use your own discretion.”

Teyla nodded, head bent over the page. John peered over her shoulder. “You left cool weapons off the list again.”

“Yes, I did.” Elizabeth smiled at him, enjoying their usual game. “Just be sure to leave the negotiating to Teyla.” A few of John’s attempts at trading had ended in less than satisfactory results.

“Sounds boring,” Ronon groused, leaning so far back in his seat it was in danger of tipping over.

“You never know.” John smirked mischievously. “They might start shooting at us.”

“I’d like to avoid that if you don’t mind,” Elizabeth intoned. She doubted she had any real effect. “When can you leave?”

“I think we can do tomorrow, say 1300?” John answered. “That work for you, Rodney?”

Rodney was still buried in the report but his head shot up at the sound of his name. “What? Yes, yes of course.” Then he went back to his reading.

She knew Rodney had no idea what he’d just agreed to, and wondered if John ever used that ability to nefarious purposes. Then she decided she didn’t want to know. “Tomorrow it is then,” she dismissed.

Ronon, Teyla and John filed out casting amused glances at the still engrossed Rodney.

“Rodney,” she said gently.

“Yes?” He looked up and noticed the lack of teammates. “Meeting’s over, huh?”

“Yes, it is.” She expected him to go dashing out after the others, or down to his lab. Instead, he put the report aside and turned to face her.

“Actually, could I speak to you for a few minutes?” He looked like he was desperately hoping she would say no.

“What’s on your mind?” She wasn’t about to offer such an easy escape.

He looked down at his hands, fiddling with the edges of the report. “You may have noticed that I haven’t been myself lately?”

“You have seemed subdued recently,” she encouraged.

He took a deep breath and seemed to plunge into the next statement. “The vision I got, from the Asurans, was of you, Teyla, Ronon and Sheppard all being tortured in my place.” He peered at her, a hint of pleading in his eyes. “I guess I was ashamed, and I hope you can forgive me.”

Elizabeth felt a warm glow that she allowed to reach her face. Every once in awhile they pitched her an easy one. “Rodney, I remember Kolya pointing a gun at me down there.” She indicated the gateroom floor. “He had every intention of shooting me until you stepped in front of me. You’ve placed yourself between me and danger several times, Rodney. That’s what’s real, not whatever you saw. But if it helps, yes, I forgive you.”

She would swear Rodney was blushing. “Thank you, Elizabeth. That, that means a lot to me.” He grabbed up the report and headed for the door.

“Rodney.” Her call stopped him in the doorway. He turned back to her almost shyly. “It’s good to have you back.” He ducked his head in acknowledgement, clearly embarrassed and left.

Elizabeth permitted herself a grin of satisfaction before she returned to her paperwork  
_____________________________________________________

“…and don’t forget to rake Simpson over the coals for her idiotic proposal on the desalinization plant,” Rodney blathered on over his headset, much to John’s amusement.

John decided the final instructions had gone on long enough and grabbed Rodney’s arm to get his attention. “Time to go, McKay. Zelenka is capable of running a staff meeting without your input.”

“Fine. McKay out,” Rodney snapped off his comm unit. “He wouldn’t have to if you’d consulted me on the timing of this little outing.”

John turned away before McKay could see him grin. John would have to make this up to Zelenka but winding Rodney up was just too much fun to resist. “I did. You can ask Elizabeth if you don’t believe me. But after we get back.”

Rodney sent a glower John’s way that had probably sent lab assistants running for cover. “Some day, Sheppard, I’m going to replace your hair gel with superglue.” He tilted his head as if considering. “You probably won’t notice the difference.”

Mentally, John conceded the point to McKay. Aloud he said, “Dial us up.”

The familiar whoosh of the stargate opening sent an equally familiar thrill down John’s spine. The gate was just too cool.

They stepped through into the usual semi-alien forest. He’d done a turn babysitting Parrish once. He’d never make the mistake of suggesting that he was looking at a maple tree again. Not unless he wanted another three hour lecture on all the “fascinating” differences. “All right McKay, where are we headed?”

Rodney was peering intently at his scanner and pointed without looking up. They fell into formation without discussion. He took point followed by Rodney with his scanner, Teyla and Ronon covering their six. A stone paved road led in the direction Rodney had pointed.

“I’d say there was a good chance what we’re looking for is right in the middle of these people’s downtown,” John called back over his shoulder. “Teyla, feel up to making nice for us?”

“I believe I can manage,” she said in a voice that was just slightly too cultured to be sarcastic.

“If that doesn’t work, I can just shoot them,” Ronon deadpanned.

“Yes, thank you, does Elizabeth have you teaching the cultural sensitivity classes now?” Rodney chimed in.

The banter continued until the native settlement came into sight. It resembled an English village John had once been stationed near. White washed stucco houses with exposed wooden beams and shingle roofs. At least they wouldn’t be dealing with an especially primitive culture.

“What do you think, McKay?”

Rodney twisted something on the scanner and glanced up at the village. “There’s an energy source there but it’s either inactive or shielded because all I’m getting is trace readings.”

John checked the readiness of the rest of his team. Neither Ronon nor Teyla appeared to be getting a bad vibe off the place. In the Pegasus Galaxy that was about as good as you could hope for. “Let’s go say hi.”

They walked down the center of the road, trusting that entering so openly would indicate that they had nothing to hide. Nothing to see folks, we’re just a group of simple, heavily armed traders.

They drew stares from the people populating the street. John gave them his best innocent smile. It worked about as well as it had with his last commanding officer. “Teyla, why don’t you come join me? Ronon, watch our six,” John said in a voice he hoped didn’t carry any farther than his team.

The formation shifted fluidly and John took up position slightly behind Teyla as if she were a culturally sensitive shield. Teyla smiled warmly at the people they passed, then shifted her attention down the street as if she expected to be greeted by someone. Right on cue a man strode purposefully in their direction. John sized the guy up. His shirt and pants were natural fibers, but the tailoring was more precise than he’d seen for some of the more homespun outfits. His boots had that machine-made look to them as well.

The guy was giving them the once over himself. The differences between Teyla and Ronon’s clothes and his and Rodney’s, was giving the guy pause. John noticed his eyes lingering on their weapons in a way that suggested that they weren’t beyond his experience.

“Greetings, I am Farand, magistrate of this village. Do you come to trade?” The greeting was fairly standard and encouraging for that.

“I am Teyla Emmagen, this is Lt. Col. Sheppard, Dr. McKay and Ronon Dex.” She indicated each of them in turn. They each gave tiny half bows as Teyla had taught them. “We hope to establish trade relations with your people.”

Now Farand was eying some of McKay’s equipment with an envious eye. “I’m sure we can come to some arrangement, will you accompany me?”

“Of course.”

Farand led them to a long, low structure that John immediately labeled a lodge. Inside the place was lit with electric light, there was a long table with bench seats along each side on one end of the room. Two huge couches dominated the other end, accompanied by several comfortable looking chairs grouped around a large fireplace. Further in John caught glimpses of what looked like an industrial kitchen behind a half open door.

John noted Rodney’s eyes taking on a happy gleam as he surveyed the relatively sophisticated level of technology surrounding him. John knew he got tired of villages with stone age technology. Yet another thing to blame the Wraith for.

“May I offer you refreshment?” Farand asked, indicating they should sit around the fireplace.

“That would be most welcome.” Teyla smiled what John had come to classify as her trader smile. Farand went off to the kitchen.

Rodney lost no time plopping down in one of the comfy chairs. He nearly bounced as he examined their surroundings. “Easy, McKay,” he warned. “We don’t know what else they have yet.”

“Hey, at this point I’ll take electricity and no underground bunkers,” Rodney assured him. John had to admit, it made a nice change as he took his own seat.

“Patrile will bring something out in a moment,” Farand said as he rejoined them. He sat on the couch where he had a good view of each of them. “It is not often we are offered the opportunity to trade with people such as yourselves.” From the eagerness in Farand’s voice, John guessed he was as excited as McKay.

“I’m sure we will be able to come to an agreement,” Teyla said, ramping up the pitch. “We have a bountiful harvest and medicines to trade, as well as information and technology.”

“We’re also looking for allies against the Wraith.” John saw no point in being coy. If Rodney was right and there was Ancient tech nearby, he wanted them to get a look at it without having to sneak around.

“You seek to stand against the Wraith?” Farand seemed equal parts amazed and pleased at the prospect.

“We do all right,” John said carefully, avoiding Teyla’s disapproving look. “But we’re always on the lookout for more effective weapons, intel, that sort of thing.”

“What he means is, your people seem to have achieved a relatively high level of technology without the Wraith destroying you,” Rodney interjected. “We would love to know what defenses you have that have been so effective.”

John wanted to scowl at Rodney, but then he’d have to let Teyla get mad at him too. As it was, Farand didn’t seem at all displeased by any of the revelations thus far. A pretty, young brunette, bearing a tray laden with tea and some kind of pastry-like things, bustled in at that moment. Conversation was suspended while everyone sorted out a cup and a small plate. Rodney was out of the proceedings for a little while as he kept his eyes on Ronon -- who was pretty much his official taste tester. If Ronon tasted something like citrus he grabbed the pastry off McKay’s plate. Sometimes, John suspected Ronon told him there was citrus in the dishes he just particularly liked, but no way he was letting McKay know that.

“We have largely survived by remaining hidden,” Farand picked up the thread of the earlier conversation. “We have yet to find any means for truly opposing the Wraith. Yet you wear your technology freely: have you managed to find a way to repel them?”

John rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to think how to answer. Teyla wrested the negotiation back from him before he could come up with an answer.

“We have also found it necessary to hide,” Teyla explained. John didn’t often think of it that way but he supposed that was true enough. “But we have engaged the Wraith in battle and emerged victorious in some of our encounters.”

“Then it is truly fortunate for us that you came. We have many goods that we can trade for weapons or knowledge.”

John knew Elizabeth didn’t want to go down that road again and he didn’t blame her. Before he could formulate an answer he was forestalled again.

“What we’re really interested in,” Rodney said, leaning forward in his eagerness. “is the abandoned Ancient outpost near this village.”

Farand eyed Rodney speculatively, his gaze lingering on the Ancient scanner Rodney had set down beside him.

“There is a building nearby that has been here since before the founding of this village. We can tell the technology is very advanced but we cannot operate it.” He pointed at the Ancient scanner. “I presume that device detected its presence.”

Rodney picked up his scanner, startled. “It detects energy in the area.”

Farand reached out his hand. “May I see it?”

Rodney handed the scanner over cautiously. “I’m afraid it won’t work for you.”

Farand watched the scanner go dark in his hand and shot an inquiring look their way.

“You have to have the gene to activate it,” Rodney supplied.

Seeing Farand’s blank look, John added. “A trait you’re born with, here.” He took the scanner back from Farand and then showed him the activated display.

“Remarkable!” Farand exclaimed.

“If you would allow us access to this building, we will be able to determine its function,” Teyla stepped in again.

At this point, John waved McKay to silence and bit his own tongue so that Teyla could work her magic. Just this once it was all going like clockwork, and he didn’t want any ill considered words to screw things up.

Several hours of negotiating followed, during which more of some kind of city council showed up. Things got explained several times over. John left it to Teyla. She was good at this stuff. He amused himself by flirting with Patrile and trying to distract Rodney. There were few things worse for trade relations than a serious dose of McKay disdain. Ronon prowling the edges of the assembly like he was eager to pick a fight wasn’t helping either.

Eventually, he sent Rodney and Ronon back to the gate to report on the progress so far. By the time he’d demonstrated his use of the gene to activate Ancient technology for the fourth time he wished he’d gone with them. Still, boring but successful beat out getting shot at by the local inhabitants every time.

At last, Teyla turned to him with a satisfied smile. “They will allow us to examine the upper room of the facility to determine its value.”

“Cool.”

He and Teyla followed the procession of council members out of the meeting hall. They were just debating whether Teyla or John should stay behind for Ronon and Rodney when they both strolled into sight.

“Come on guys, they’re letting us in,” he called.

“Really?” John enjoyed watching McKay’s eyes light up while he broke into a near run at the prospect. Despite how fun it was to tease the man, John liked seeing him happy.

The structure they approached was dome shaped and so overgrown with foliage it resembled a small hill. That was probably what had preserved it for so long.

The council members parted for his team. As they stepped toward the structure Farand told them, “We have done significant exploration but have been unable to operate any of the equipment within. We must force the doors, but perhaps it will open easily for you.”

John smiled his best amiable smile. This was going to be a lead pipe cinch if the facility was still operational. Feeling a little like a magician with an untested trick, he put his hand next to the partially obscured door and thought “open” at it. It slid aside silently.

“Show off,” Rodney muttered, but there was no heat in it.

Inside was a control room, smaller, less flashy than Atlantis’ gate room but unmistakably Ancient architecture. The lights came up as he stepped into the room. The gasps of awe and amazement from the assembled crowd were very gratifying. Rodney was less impressed and pushed his way through to get to the consoles. Rodney’s snort of dismay drew John’s attention.

Beside each console was a tarp with components spread over it, all carefully labeled as if this was an archaeological dig.

“Can you tell what all this stuff is?” John asked McKay.

“Of course I can,” he snapped back. “There’s obviously power so I can probably get it all working, as long as they haven’t lost anything. At least they were organized vandals.”

With that he slid under the nearest console and began working. John put a hand over his when he reached for a component. “Rodney, what are you doing?”

He received the McKay Death Glare at Infinite Stupidity in response. “Fixing it, what does it look like?”

“We don’t have a treaty with these people yet. Let’s not give away our leverage, shall we?”

Rodney grumphed but stood back up. “So what, you want me to stand in a corner and twiddle my thumbs?”

“How about you tell the nice people what this equipment does? Then we can find something relatively minor to demonstrate your skills on before we hand them the keys to the city.”

“Fine.” Rodney wandered the modest sized room evaluating the available equipment. Once he nodded, John leaned back and watched Rodney take center stage as he went into lecture mode.

“This,” he indicated the console he was standing next to, “is the internal sensors. Once activated it will tell you exactly where everyone is located in the facility.” The council members gathered around, politely interested. Rodney moved to the next console. “But what you’re really going to be interested in is this, the long range sensors. This can tell you about an approaching Wraith ship while it’s still days away.”

That announcement stirred real excitement. “Can you fix it?” Farand asked, something very close to desperation in his voice. John didn’t blame him. An advantage like that could save an entire planet from being culled.

“Easily.” John figured he could forgive Rodney his superior smirk. He took a glance at the assembled components, “Hell, Sheppard over there could probably do it.”

“Shall we discuss terms?” Teyla smoothly interposed herself before Rodney could put his foot in it more.

“These are impressive claims,” Farand responded. “But what proof do we have?”

“How about this,” Rodney piped up again. John noticed he’d moved to a console across the room. “This is for internal communications. I’ll fix this as a gesture of good faith.”

Rodney looked at John and Teyla for approval. John had to admit, it was a good choice. It could be tested immediately while not giving away anything too valuable. He and Teyla both gave him a go ahead. Rodney slid under the console and began replacing components.

John took the opportunity to talk to Ronon. “What did Elizabeth say?”

“She wants to do the negotiating herself,” Ronon answered.

He should have expected that. Every time they came across a fairly advanced society Elizabeth wanted to cut the deal herself. It was almost as if she didn’t trust them since the whole Genii debacle.

“I shall do my best to prepare the way for her.” Teyla was maintaining her professional trader expression, but he could detect discontent underneath it. He suspected she echoed his thoughts.

“Elizabeth doesn’t get many chances to go offworld, I think she jumps on them when they come along.” John believed that might even be the real reason.

Teyla inclined her head in acknowledgement and turned back to watching the council watch Rodney work.

Rodney emerged a couple minutes later, brushing his hands off with a show of deep satisfaction. “Colonel, if you would do the honors?”

The request beat Rodney’s usual, “Here, turn this on” order any day. All this new Ancient tech must be putting him in a good mood. He reached out to the console and thought “on” at it. It flickered to life under his hand.

“As you can see, a fairly strong ATA gene is required to initialize the system. However, once activated, many operations can be performed by people without the gene.” Rodney hit a control and continued, his voice booming over the public address system. “I should be able to bring this facility back up to full operation, given time and equipment.”

The council looked massively impressed. Then again, from the evidence, they had been crawling all over this installation, possibly for years, believing it to be completely inert. Now, in just a few minutes it was coming alive under McKay’s skilled hands.

After a moment of silence, the council descended on Teyla trying to make a deal for them to turn on more, most especially the long range sensors.

Teyla gave them her best trader’s smile and raised her hands for silence. “Our leader is most anxious to form an alliance with you. She will come with a delegation to formalize an agreement soon.”

It was pretty clear they didn’t like that answer and John thought it was time to get his team home. If they couldn’t continue negotiations then their continued presence would only compound frustrations, for the locals and Rodney. “We need to head back, but we’ll be contacting you in a few days,” he assured them as he signaled Rodney to pack up.

“Surely we can send a delegation with you to reach an agreement,” one of them argued.

It was a reasonable request and John hated turning her down, but they couldn’t afford to bring anyone home to Atlantis. “I’m sorry, that’s not possible. I promise, we will be in touch very soon.”

The team started edging out of the facility. John was concerned he was going to have to drag Rodney out but he was moving. The council converged into a huddle. John just hoped they weren’t about to break out the weapons. This mission had been going so well. He kept an eye on them as they exited.

Farand came running up before they had gotten very far down the village street. “You must stay for the evening meal. Please, we wish there to be accord between our peoples.”

Teyla leaned toward him. “It would be exceedingly rude to refuse.”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” John whispered back. Aloud he told Farand, “Thank you, we would be honored.”

They all four went to the stargate to check in and inform Elizabeth of the change of plans. The subtext of Teyla and Elizabeth’s conversation was fascinating.

“The Parens are quite anxious to form an alliance with us,” Teyla said. Underneath, John clearly heard. “I’m completely capable of conducting this treaty negotiation without your input.”

“That’s wonderful. Please inform them I’m eager to meet with them,” Elizabeth replied. Translation: “If I don’t get out of this office soon I’m going to kill someone.”

They went back and forth like that for a little while. John didn’t dare get inbetween them. Apparently, Rodney and Ronon were likewise inclined towards self-preservation and were keeping any opinions they had to themselves.

Eventually, Teyla conceded the field and signed off. They started back for the village, Teyla striding out in front. Rodney and Ronon hung back, arguing about something in quiet tones. John figured he had to be the one to brave the wrath of Teyla. There were times he hated being team leader. “So,” he tried for a conversational tone, nothing challenging. “do you think we should accompany Elizabeth when she comes here, or should I leave it to a security detail?” He was sure Teyla heard the unasked question. “Can you stand stepping aside and letting Elizabeth do her thing?”

Teyla sighed. She seemed to diminish in size before him. “The Parens are not a violent people. I think they will respond better to the return of friendly faces than armed guards.” She turned to John as she walked. “I am sure Elizabeth will enjoy spending time getting acquainted with our newest allies.”

Serenity had returned to Teyla’s face and John breathed an inward sigh of relief. He reflected he really shouldn’t have worried. If anyone understood Elizabeth’s position and its difficulties it was Teyla.

“Naturally, Elizabeth will require my aid in establishing formal relations.” The look of mischief on Teyla’s face had John smiling even as he backed off. Teyla and Elizabeth could work out things without his involvement and that was fine with him.

 

Rodney watched John talk with Teyla and all he could think was, Better you than me.

Ronon and he had agreed to wait and see who would ultimately win in a serious fight between Elizabeth and Teyla. Since it was unlikely the two women would ever come to blows… Rodney was distracted by that image. Jello could be involved.

He wrenched his mind back on track. The consequences of Teyla catching him thinking such a thing were too frightening to contemplate. In a strict war of words, Rodney had backed Elizabeth and Ronon favored Teyla. They were still trying to work out appropriate stakes and what would constitute a win. Rodney wasn’t sure either of them would recognize it when it happened.

They made it back to the lodge house where they were greeted warmly by the village elders. They were seated at the far end of the table with heaping plates of food before them. If they had to stick around on a planet, they could do much worse than a world with an Ancient outpost where they fed you frequently.

He tucked into the dishes Ronon nodded at and let him grab the unsafe food off his plate. When Ronon grabbed his glass and downed about half of the ale-type drink Rodney was seriously disappointed. Especially since it appeared to be the only thing there was to drink. Still, the food was good and plentiful and Rodney was enjoying himself.

“I wonder how much of this stuff is native and how much they have to trade for?” Rodney questioned, savoring a bit of pastry packed with some kind of spicy meat and vegetable filling.

He looked toward Ronon, his usual partner when it came to food, only to find him propped against the wall, eyes closed. His eyes darted to Teyla, who had her head down next to her plate. A heavy weight fell on his shoulder, his neck tickled by Sheppard’s unruly hair.

For an instant, Rodney froze, panic threatening to overwhelm him. He fought it down and let his mind work over the problem. Three of his teammates were down and their hosts weren’t rushing to their aid. He could feel Sheppard’s warm breath on his shoulder, reassuring him that he was unconscious, not dead. Which meant it was likely Teyla and Ronon were also still alive. If he wanted to save himself and his team, he had to grab back the element of surprise.

In a crisis situation, and this counted big time, Rodney’s mind tended to work faster. This was fortunate since it meant there was only a few seconds between Rodney realizing his team had been neutralized and deciding to play possum and slump back against Sheppard.

“Quickly, secure them,” he heard a voice from just down the table and felt the bench shift slightly as the other rose from the table.

Rodney dearly hoped that his hand was hidden between his body and Sheppard’s. His fingers had found the P90 the Colonel had taken off to have dinner and laid on the bench between them. He just needed to get a proper grip on it before he made his move.

His finger slipped into the trigger guard. Rodney leaped to his feet with all the grace and speed at his command as he trained the gun on their hosts. He winced as he heard Sheppard hit the ground behind him but couldn’t spare a glance to make sure he was okay.

“Everyone get back,” he ordered, waving his gun at them in a shooing motion. His stomach clenched at the thought of actually shooting any of them.

There was a man with his hand hovering an inch above Teyla’s unprotected shoulder. Rodney snapped the gun level with his chest, his hands perfectly steady, and spoke with absolute conviction. “Touch her and I will cut you in half with this thing.”

The man kept his hands out in front of him as he backed away. Rodney breathed easier the farther back he stepped. His brain felt like it was on spin cycle, throwing up random, useless bits of information while he tried to force it along more productive lines. For Atlantis’ premiere first contact team they spent an embarrassing amount of time unconscious. He managed not to say that aloud, but he couldn’t keep silent when his overactive brain spit out just how the Parens had gotten the drop on them. “It was the ale wasn’t it?”

“Yes.” One of the elder women answered his rhetorical question. “Please, Dr. McKay, we mean none of you any harm.”

Rodney’s laugh was devoid of any trace of humor. “Oh, I can tell that. How long before they regain consciousness?”

“A few hours, no more,” she assured. Rodney wondered if he could last that long without shaking apart.

“What is wrong with you people? You seemed relatively intelligent and reasonable, we were about to sign a treaty with you.” Rodney could feel the pitch of his voice rising but there was nothing he could do about it.

“A treaty can take months,” the woman protested. “Please, we just need Colonel Sheppard. You and the others are free to go.”

“You honestly believe we’re just going to traipse through the gate and leave the Colonel behind?” Rodney demanded, dumbstruck. “I think you can kiss that treaty goodbye too.”

“I assure you, Dr. McKay,” the woman implored. “We would not harm him in any way.”

“Oh please, as if you have any credibility after this stunt.”

There was anger on her face now. “We were desperate! Do you know what long range sensors could mean for us? There are 8,000 people on this planet. Given two days notice we could make it appear abandoned. The Wraith would come and go and not return.”

Rodney leaned against the table for support. Long, pointless conversations wore him out. “An excellent reason to make a treaty with us and a stupid reason to piss us off this badly.”

“You were leaving!” she shouted.

“We were coming back!”

She crossed her arms over her chest, getting thoroughly into the argument now. “So you say. But when would that be? What do we have that could entice you into an alliance? Our beadwork? We need that technology and we can’t operate it ourselves.”

Rodney started to wave his hands in annoyance, remembering just in time to keep the gun trained on the cluster of village elders. “So you thought you’d just grab Colonel Sheppard and he’d turn the sensors on for you.”

“Yes.” She glanced behind Rodney at Sheppard’s unconscious body, her resolve appeared in need of shoring up. “I’m sure he would agree once he saw how great our need is.”

Rodney shook his head in exasperation. “That is one of the single most moronic plans I have ever heard. Seriously, it beats Sheppard’s idea of setting up a surf shop on the mainland.”

The woman was starting to get that look of baffled exasperation people often gave him. He couldn’t care less. He had the gun and, as far as he could tell, they were unarmed. That fact alone predisposed him to attempt to salvage the situation. “First of all, you have no idea what else may be in that outpost. Would you like some nice shiny weapons to go with those sensors, hmm? How about a shield? Sheppard wouldn’t be able to get everything working for you even if you could get him to cooperate, which I doubt. He’s stubborn.”

Rodney held the P90 a little more across his chest, no longer actively pointing it at the group as he talked. “As to what you could trade us? Access to that facility without someone shooting at me would be wonderful, thank you very much. I could spend months bringing it back online, figuring out what we could use that you don’t need, what we might have that would help you. Hell, you might even have a spare ZPM in there. Trust me, just the possibility is enough for us to form a very speedy and favorable alliance.”

The woman took in the change in posture as much as the words and her brow knit, looking at him speculatively. “You would do this? Even now?”

Rodney dared to glance behind him at his unconscious team. Ronon and Teyla were sleeping peacefully, although Ronon was likely to have a stiff neck in a couple hours. Sheppard was in an uncomfortable looking sprawl on the floor but he didn’t look much the worse for wear either. Turning back to the village elder he said, “You still don’t get it, do you? We’re the good guys here! Stop acting like a bunch of jackasses and I’ll give you working sensors by the end of the day.”

She peered at his face, as if judging his sincerity. Then she turned to her fellow elders. A few words were exchanged followed by a general nodding of heads. She turned back around to face Rodney. “What would you have us do?”

Rodney considered for a moment. These people had drugged them, planned to kidnap them after they had offered them nothing but friendship. But Rodney had been in Pegasus long enough to see what depths desperation drove people to. He’d been holding them off with a single gun for some time now and no one had made a hostile move or pulled a weapon. Now that he had enlightened them about their favorable trading position they seemed relieved. He clipped the P90 to the front of his tac vest. He wanted it close at hand if he was wrong. “Help me get them comfortable and we’ll iron out the details.”

For the first time in their conversation he saw the woman smile.

 

“—and throw in a couple bushels of those nut things, I like those,” John heard Rodney’s voice before anything else. He had that heavy, disconnected feeling he associated with waking up in the infirmary, but he didn’t remember being injured. He was all too familiar with the sounds and smells of Atlantis’ infirmary, this wasn’t it. He squinted his eyes open and groaned at the brightness of the light.

“Colonel,” Rodney exclaimed far too loudly. “How’s the head?”

“Not so good,” he grumbled. Just how powerful was that ale he’d been drinking? He scrubbed his fingers over the back of his head and hit a tender spot. “Ow.”

Rodney winced. “Sorry about that. It didn’t look too bad though, just a bump, right?”

John took a quick look around him. He was lying on one of the couches in the lodge. Ronon were sacked out on the other couch and Teyla was curled up in one of the big armchairs. Rodney sat at a small table with one of the village elders, papers spread out in front of them. It didn’t look like they were in any immediate danger, but he also remembered he’d been going extra easy on the ale and there was no way he would have left Rodney on watch while the rest of them passed out. He wanted answers and he was going to have to pry them out of McKay. “Rodney, what happened?”

“You were drugged,” Rodney said in that matter of fact way he had when something was beneath his notice. He caught John’s scowl and heaved a put upon sigh. “It’s okay now, we worked it out. Here.” John got his hands around the P90 Rodney thrust at him. “I’m sick of holding it.”

“McKay.” John had quelled marines with that tone. McKay barely registered him. “I want an explanation.”

Making it quite clear he thought John took the short bus to school Rodney explained. “They were going to kidnap you for that magical gene of yours so they drugged everyone, well, everyone but me since I didn’t drink the ale, but we’ve worked out a treaty now instead.”

Teyla groaned as she returned to consciousness. Rodney smiled, like a brilliant plan of his was coming together. “Good. Ronon should be coming around soon too.” He gathered up the papers in front of him and the elder woman. She looked sort of amused at the goings on. John decided he didn’t like her.

Rodney shoved the papers into John’s hands. “Here, Teyla and Elizabeth can argue over who gets to ratify this mess, I’ve got work to do.” He turned to the woman seated next to him. “Remember, full access.”

“Of course, Dr. McKay,” she agreed with a slight bow.

John stared at the papers in stunned disbelief as they walked away. Teyla sat up looking something less than bright eyed and bushy tailed, rubbing her eyes. “Colonel, what has happened?”

“I’m not sure, but I think Rodney just brokered a treaty.”

 

It was several hours later that they all debriefed in the conference room. Elizabeth and Teyla put their heads together over the treaty while Rodney got the long range sensors working and investigated the depths of the Ancient facility. He’d found several things that made his eyes light up. All John knew for sure was that Rodney had hauled back four laptops worth of data and was likely to be holed up with Zelenka going over it for the foreseeable future.

All in all, John was calling it a win. A mission that had all the earmarks of disaster and a quick run for the gate ended with new trading partners and cool new Ancient toys to play with.

“I must say, Rodney,” Elizabeth spoke with a healthy amount of amazement in her voice, “I’m impressed. I would have been a bit more diplomatic in my phrasing, but overall, it’s a very workable treaty.”

Rodney was wearing his “I am a genius” smirk until he honed in on the criticism. “What’s wrong with my phrasing?”

“We agree to provide you technical expertise if you promise not to do something monumentally stupid with it?” Teyla quoted with an arched eyebrow.

“Isn’t that what we mean?” Rodney asked in honest confusion. John barely restrained his laughter.

“We try not to be quite so blunt with people with whom we’re trying to establish good relations,” Elizabeth soothed.

“They drugged my team,” Rodney protested. “They’re lucky I didn’t make them pay us tribute.”

“About that,” John chimed in. “Why didn’t you dial back to Atlantis and order up reinforcements?”

Rodney’s jaw dropped. “Are you kidding? Who knows what they might have done to you. I wasn’t letting any of you out of my sight.”

John noticed Ronon sporting the same grin he knew was on his own face. Teyla settled for a knowing little smile.

“What are you all smirking about?” Rodney demanded, certain he was being left out of the joke.

“Could have saved your own skin,” Ronon told him.

“Did you think I’d just—“ John watched the penny drop as Rodney trailed off. It was kind of fun. Elizabeth looked a little bewildered, but that was okay. She could do with a little mystery in her life.

“So, we through here?” John asked her.

“I suppose so,” she said uncertainly.

“Good, I’m starved.” John pushed out of the chair, Teyla and Ronon falling in with him on the way to the door. “Join us for dinner, Rodney?”

Rodney looked like reality was rearranging before his eyes. It took a couple seconds for the question to penetrate. When it did a smile broke out on his face and he nodded. “What are they serving?”

“Meatloaf,” Ronon answered. Trust the big guy to know the mess hall menu.

“Yeah,” Rodney said, following them out. “I’d like that.”


End file.
